Cartridge-loading machine



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet L O. P. BELGHER.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE. No. 336,689. Patented Peb.23,-1886.

Ewe/2Z0)". $4; 677427150 27 135M197? (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0, F. BELGHBR. GARTBIbGB LOADING MAGHHTE.

Patented Feb. 23, 1886.-

flhvrrnn rares- ATET 'FFiQ E-Q ORLANDO FULLER- BELQHER, OF \YIXTHROP,)IASSXCHUSET'LS.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING MACHINE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part '0: Letters Patent No. 336,689, datedFebruary 23, 1886.

oc'tober-cs, 1885.

Application filed To all whom it may concern- Be it known that I,ORLANDO FULLER BELCHER, a citizen of the United States, re-

' siding at Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new andnseful Improvements inCartridge l oading Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and

- exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference'loeing. had to the accompanying drawings, and [to letters orfigures of reference *marked .thereon, which form a part'of thisspecification. I

This invention relates to cartridge-loading machineaso called, and maybe considered asanimprovementnn-the' invention embed ied'in LettersPatent of the United States No. 305,136 issued to myself onthe 16th dayof September, 1884.

-My improvements consist in the peculiar mechanical arrangement ofparts, which may be adapiedfor or applied to any kind of acartridge-loading machine in which the movable gate or gates operatingto admit powder or shot to the empty cartridge are connected with andcontrolled upon the wadwammer lever or handle.. The peculiar advantagesarising therefrom being economy in time, and

I thus greater rapidity in the act of loading,

since the right hand,which is generally employed in actuating therammer-handle, is not removed therefrom during the filling of acartridge, but controls not only the admission of =looth powder and shotbut likewise the inserprior to the insertion of the wad upon the i tionof the wads, each of such acts being accomplished independently of eachother and at the will of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of amachine for loading cartridges, in which the-,operative parts are shownin their positions just prior to the introduction and filling of acartridge, while Fig; 2 shows a similar view, with the lever and theactuatingatc mechanism in the position just after drlivvring the powder,but

latter. Fig.3 is a modilicatiom Since the general icatures of thecartridge loading machine herein shown are embodied eral.

Serial X0. 150,731. (X luUilcl.)

spectively at C D.) These latter are secured to the circular bosses castupon the chaniherB.

At E is represented a passage or iluct,which is common to both hoppers,and alternately conveys powder or shot to the cartridge contained withinand supported by the cartridgeholder F. Furthermore, a horizontal tableor shelf is provided at G, (constituting part of the frame A,) andformed with a slight rim or upraiscd edge, by means of which the wads tobe inserted in the cartridges 'tl'G maintained upon/the shelf. Firmlysecured to this shelf is an uprightpost or standard, I), to t-heupperend of which is pivoted an oscillating arm or lever, c. This latterextends loosely through an eye or socket, d, formed inthe upperextrcmity of the wad rammer or plunger 0.

This plunger, spring-actuated, is rcciprocated by means of the lever c,and plays vertically through an extension or boss, 5, formed upon orattached to the frame A.

Now, in my invention before referred to,

the operation of driving home a wad and ofadmitting shot or powder tothe cartridge then in process of loading, was effected by two distinctlevers disconnected. Consequently a shifting or change in. the positionof the hands was required, attendant with much loss of time,

and I have herein endeavored to obviate this difficulty by a combinationof parts, which enable the operator to maintain his right handcontinuously upon the lever c, to actuate the rammer e, and yet with thesame hand be ena abled to lil: ewise operate the mechanism serving toopen and close the gates admitting either bowder or shot. Thus either ofthe la t ter may be admitted at will into the cartridge, and at the sametime the plunger is actuated to drive home a wad, as circumstancesrequire in the process of loading, each of the above acts be ingindependent of the other. 1

To securethe above results I have pivoted to theshelf'G, provided forthe wads, a vertically-disposed arm, f, which is furnished with twolaterally-projecting rods, 9 h, pivoted thereto. The former one, g, islocated aboutv centrally of the arm f, and extends to and isconnectcd'with a stud, i, projecting from the gate a, which controls theflow of powder and shot, while beyond, at the extremity of the I armf, Ihave secured the other rod, h,'which is attached to, a metallic sleeve,H, movable From the disposi; 5

upon the lever-handle 0. tion of these various parts it will be readilyperceived that the independent pivotal attachment of the-actuatinggate-rod h, enables the lever c'to descend in the act of driving a wadand then return without effecting any change in the position of thecutoff gate. On the other hand, when movement of the gate is desired,aslight thrust of the hand which always grasps the movable sleeve Henables a charge of powder or shot to be quickly admitted, de-

pendent upon the motion in which the sleeve is directed upon the lever;and this result may be accomplished without movi g the levers.

. ingthat the various operative'parts are in the The operation orthemachine containing the mechanism above described, and which embodies myinvention, is as follows, premispositions, as shown in Fig. 1,with-the'wadrammer upraised and withit thelever 0, while the-sleeve H,actuating the gate-rods g h, is drawn away from theextrem-ity of theleverhandle 0: Now, supposing an empty shell 0 has been inserted in thecartridge-holder F.

The next stepis to admit powder, when the operator with his right handgrasps the movable sleeve H and thrusts it out' tor ward the extremityof the lever c. This movement rocks the upright arm f and directs thegate a toward thehopper'D, as shown the operator permits the plunger torise by the action of it's spring, and when in the dotted lines, therebypermitting flow of powder from the opposite hopper, 0.

e and lever c to advance downward,when the This descent of the leverchas carried with it the rod h and movposition shown by gate-rod 51remaining and no motion of the latter occurs.

said plunger has withdrawn from. the shell he again thrusts the movablesleeve H in direction of arrow-1.

(See'Figi 2.) This action effects an opposite rocking of thearm f tothat previouslyac- I ing theposition of hielnghthand after theiir'complished, anda similar but reverse swing ing' of the gate a isproduced when shot is admitted to the cartridge. Then,without changlever0 down and the second wad is driven into its proper place. The cartridgeis now I completely loaded, and only requires to be crimped before beingremoved. Upon the driving of the last wad, the wad rammer is permittedto return to its normal or raised position, carrying the movable sleeveH ,which remainsinactive or unmoved thereon, and thus the parts will beseen to'have resumed the positions shown by the full lines in Fig. 1,and ready for the insertion and loading of a fresh empty cartridge.

It is a well-understood principle in the proper loading .of cartridgesthat it is very necessary to drive the powder down hard. Consequentlythe wad upon the latter must be forced down with more force than the wadresting upon the shot. Moreover, it will be noticed in the operation ofloading that the act of opening the gate to admit powderbrings thesleeve H out upon the extremity of the lever actuating the wad-plunger;hence greater power is obtained at' the right time or at the ltroduction of a wad with his left, he pulls the I l driven home. Onthe'other hand,.admission of the shot. causes the sleeve to be withdrawnfrom the end of the lever, thereby shortening the latter and diminishingthe power of said lever.

may be adopted by which to accomplish the result produced by-the-sleeveH herein shown, and yet not depart from the spirit of my invention,which I consider consistsin a gate- I operating mechanism connectedwiththe wadrammer lever of a cartridgeloading machine,

9 h, are pivotally united ftogethcr. Furthermore, I have formed aslotted boss, j, upon the post I), and through which the lower rod, 9,passes,while a small roller, k, is securedin said slot to support saidrod,lessen the friction, and thereby enable said rod 9 tov slide morefreely in the act of reciprocating the gate a. v T claim- 1.Incombination with the measuring-gate machine, a lever, c,actuatin'gsaid plunger, a sleeve, H, sliding on said lever to operatethe to said gate, substantially as stated.

2, l he'plunger e, having'aslotted head, d, in combination with anoperating-lever, c, which passesthroughl said-slot, and connectionsbetween said lever and the measuring gate, substantially as set forth 3.In combination with the measuring-gate moment the wad upon the powder.is to be' whereby without removal of the hand from f is omitted and thetwo actuating gate-arms,

It is very evident that various modifications and loading-plunger of acartridge-leading gate, and mechanism connecting said sleeve andplunger, the staiidard I), the lever c piv In testimoigmvhereof Ialiixmysiguature in oted to said standard and in contact with said presenceof t\v0 witnesses. Y plunger, the sleeve H, movable on said lever, ORLANDO FULLER BFI (HER the measuring-gate, the upright pivoted rod 5 f,and the rods 9 h, respectively connecting Witnesses:

said rod f with the said sleeve andsaid gate, F. CURTIS, substantiallyas set forth. H. E. LODG

